You done being frustrated with me?

Most of the time, Nick is very sweet and compliant.  However, he is human and there are times his behavior is not correct and I get frustrated at him.  Even angry.

As soon as he notices that I am upset, he immediately apologizes.  “I sorry, mom,” he says, “I sorry, ok?”  This is quickly followed by him saying, “You done being frustrated with me?”

He really doesn’t like anyone being mad at him, especially his mom.  Sometimes, if I am only marginally upset, this conversation will make me laugh.  I am able to quickly say, “Yes, Nick, I am done being frustrated with you.”

Other times, I will reply, “I am not done yet, Nick.  I am very mad.”

He will pause, seeming to reflect on what I said, and will then reply, “You done now?”  If I don’t say that I am done being frustrated, he will continue to ask me if I am done, over and over, until I finally say, “Yes, Nick, I am done being frustrated with you.”

I will tell him that I am done being frustrated, even if I still upset about whatever happened, because the frustration I feel while being asked over and over is more than the frustration I feel about the incident.

I was thinking about our current world situation.  It seems that a lot of people are quick to get angry while others feel vindicated in responding with the same emotion when someone else is angry.  Incidents of negative situations are escalating, while everyone is rationalizing their lack of control over their own rage and fury.

What would our world be like if each of us could immediately apologize when we did something that upset someone else by saying, “I’m sorry.”   And then the other person would say that they were done being frustrated with us.  That is what Nick does already.  I think that it would be amazing.

I am trying to do it.  It is not easy, but I do believe from my experiences with Nick, that it is doable.  Lets all try it and then like a pebble dropped into the pond, the ripples of good will will spread far and wide.

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